Below the Surface
by princess-snow510
Summary: He whispered my name as our bodies touched. "No matter how many times you forget, I'll be there to make you remember. You are mine and I am yours. Always and forever." Rating will change.
1. The Truth

**_Hey guys I've decided to post up a OUAT fanfic. I do hope you guys like it._**

**_Enjoy._**

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**_Below the Surface._**

He whispered my name as our bodies touched. "No matter how many times you forget, I'll be there to make you remember. You are mine and I am yours. Always and forever."

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Chapter One. The Truth.

_"__What is this about? Wendy?"_

_Words flew from my mouth that I'd never thought I'd even think, let alone say out loud. _

_I hated that girl from the moment the shadow had brought her. I had him choose her or me. _

_The girl was still here, so his choice was oblivious. It hurt, but I would never be second best to anyone…ever._

_"__You want to keep her. Fine, but I'm leaving, Peter. You'll regret betraying me."_

_I knew instantly from the look in his eyes that they'd hit their mark. In that instant our relationship shattered into glassy shards. Nothing would ever be the same again._

_His face mottled crimson, his eyes popped, his neck strained. _

_His words were spat out with the ferocity and rapidity of machine gun fire. _

_Without wiping the spit from my ashen face I leant closer, perfectly composed and uttered just three words. _

_"I don't care." _

_His fuse simmered and fizzed like a firework in a chill autumn breeze, then he exploded with unrestrained fury. _

_I remained as still as a cadaver and just as pallid, unblinking against his onslaught. Then with a barely concealed smirk I turned on my heels and walked away as if strolling in the park on a fine day._

_**~Below the Surface~**_

Emptiness was looking at yourself in the mirror and acknowledging that you will never be society's definition of perfect. You walk around like a corpse, feeling your soul fade away with every second, and there's nothing you can do about it.

There's nothing you want to do about it.

Emptiness tasted like a gum that lost its taste. Yet you keep on chewing, because you're too lazy to spit it out and to take another one. Your mouth is disgusted by the taste, and you are torturing the muscles in your stomach by faking the thought of eating.

But you keep on chewing, just for the sake of it.

Emptiness is like a hole in your chest. Clawing at you where you might even use physical pain to distract from it. Emptiness of something that will show itself in all aspects of your life. Something that will make a void in everything even your perception of your of your the world, and how you feel.

It leaves you drained and wanting to go anywhere you won't be antagonized.

Emptiness is how I've been feeling for as long as I could remember.

I shuffled through the thousand of boxes stored up in the old attic. I had to practically shove my whole face into my hoodie just to keep from suffocating at all the dust that's been collecting for the past seventeen years.

I really didn't want to be doing this, but out of the two people living in this house, I was the only one capable. My mom wasn't emotionally stable enough to even go into the attic, much less actually look for the pictures of her husband, my father.

He died. That's all I could say.

He was in the Army and that meant he was rarely ever home. It also meant I never really knew him.

Of course he was my father and he could name my favorite movies and food from when I was a kid, but that's about it. When I was a little girl, he used to be my hero, I used to stay up all night until he would get home from a year of duty. He was essentially the one person in the entire world that I looked up to more than anything else.

Then, as I got older, I realized that, although my father knew me, I really knew him. I didn't know his favorite movie or his favorite foods. I just knew that he was my father.

And now he's just going to be my father that's six feet under a patch of grass in a pile of dirt.

I should probably be more sympathetic especially for my mom, who's going through a rough time, but I just couldn't.

It was extremely unlike me too.

Normally I would be itching to comfort my mother because the woman is my best friend, today was just different.

Maybe it was just the annoying fact that I was starting my junior year soon and I was less than pleased about going back to hell. Sophomore year was already hard enough, I just wanted to go die in a hole and never come out. Kind of like my dad.

As I continue to rummage through the boxes, pushing my dark hair behind my ears as I did so I came across a smaller box place in the bigger one.

Immediately my interest was peaked and I grabbed a hold of it, letting out a small frown.

As I moved to open it to see I saw it was consumed with different styles, all of them with my name on it.

At first I just figured they were necessary things to be kept like a birth certificate and medical records and all of it was…for the first couple of papers.

I furred my eyebrows when I came across a big thick piece of paper that looked much more sophisticated than any of the others.

With nimble fingers I tugged it out, my hoodie falling off my chin and down to my chest as I skimmed through the words.

Most of them made no sense apart from the few basic words like death an accident but apart from that they were born until I got to the bottom part where everything was made perfectly clear.

The hold I had on the rest of the files went crashing to the ground, the papers flying in all direction, dust rose into the air as I let out a strangled cry.

I read it over again, and again, trying to make sense of what the paper had written on it.

Only none of it did, and I wasn't quite sure any of it ever would.

Slowly sinking into the ground, I began to wish I had been the one that died not my father or more so just a man who had his legal rights to me.

I couldn't even call him father anymore.

I couldn't call my mother _my_ mother because they weren't mine and I wasn't theirs.

I didn't let any tears fall in the process I just stared ahead at the attic door waiting for the woman downstairs to come up to explain herself because I wasn't Cassandra Cain.

I was somebody completely different and I didn't know who that was.


	2. Times up!

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Chapter 2 Time's Up

I felt like a complete outcast standing at my father's funeral.

Mostly because I was wearing the color purple while everyone surrounding me was in uniforms or wearing depressing colors like black and grey.

Most of the women at the reception were sporting large atrocious hats that only made their spoiled selves even more evident.

My mother and I didn't have a lot of money we could barely afford the water bill much less a whole funeral like this for my dad. The only reason this whole thing was a piece of cake is because the amount of rich friends that my mom and dad knew during my father's status.

If you fight for the country people willingly hand you money left and right.

I couldn't exactly move; mostly because I was wearing high heels ones that could easily cause me to face plant directly into the green grass and also because my mother had a steel grip on my shoulder...

I huffed wishing she would just let go of me already because right now the last thing I wanted was for the woman to be touching me.

After last week finding those papers in the attic, I could barely look her in the eye much less actually speak to her. '

People don't normally take adoption lightly. I didn't definitely.

After my mom realized I hadn't come down from the attic in a few hours the woman had come upstairs only to find that I was surrounded by scatter papers all with the word adoption stamp on them.

"Cassandra. Would you like to say a few words about your father? Or on behalf of your mother." A woman that I had never seen before in my life asked.

I stared at the woman for a few seconds trying to determine whether or not the lady was being serious.

I let my lips purse out as my mom tightened her grip on my shoulders. I finally built up enough courage to shrug her off stepping forward a bit as to not fall and get a mouthful of green.

I took a deep breath.

I narrowed my eyes at the woman and gave her a small shake of the head with a patronizing smile before staring the woman I called mother directly in her eyes.

"He's not my father and she… is **_not_** my mother."

With that I whirled around, pushing through the crowds of people. I could practically feel all the stares boring a hole into my back but I didn't dare turn around.

_~Below the Surface~ _

I continued to walk until I was out of range. I stopped to pull the heels off my feet.

Despite my best efforts tears fell from my eyes.

I sunk to the ground bringing my hand to my heart.

Footsteps were heard, they stopped behind me.

It feels like I can't breathe.

Everything hurts. Especially my heart.

"Cassandra…let me explain."

As I thought of my mother's betrayal my lip curled and my nostrils flared.

I stood up, turning towards her. My mind felt as if lead were coursing though it instead of blood.

My once sunny childhood memories of her now felt as if they were tarred, disfigured into something grotesque.

I kept my gaze off her, I couldn't bare to look her way, because if we made eye contact I thought I just might vomit. Or worse become violent.

Disgust. Total disgust. Is was I felt.

"I trusted you…" My voice cracked as my hands balled to fist.

"Cassandra…"

"And you lied to me. Lied to me for seventeen years."

"I didn't lie Cassandra."

I laughed hysterically. "You didn't lie? Let me guess… you just withheld the truth right?"

"We did it to-"

"To what protect me?" I snarled. "Don't make me laugh."

The grass around us seemed to lose all color. Flowers wilted. The sun soon was clouded.

"Cassandra please." She whispered her voice trembling. "Please calm down."

My eye twitched as a roll of thunder echoed in the sky. "I am calm."

"Cassandra please. You were given to us. As soon as we saw you we knew you were the one for us. We love you as our own."

The thunder boomed louder. "What do you mean I was given to you?"

"We made a deal-" She stopped suddenly as a white dove and dropped what appeared to be a post card into her hands.

Her eyes widened and she dropped it like it burned her. "No." she whispered. She looked at me with eyes filled with sadness.

I frowned before picking up the post card. It was from a place called Storybrooke, Maine. I filled to the back to see who it was from.

There was no name, only two words.

"Time's up."


	3. Who am I?

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Chapter 3. Who am I?

Cassandra's POV

"You want to go **_where_**?"

"I want to go to Storybrooke." I said seriously.

Jillian, I wasn't even sure if I could call her mom anymore stared at me like I had just announced that I killed a person.

"Why the hell would you want to do that Cassandra? No. We don't need to go there. We are going to talk about this as a fam-"

I whirled around at the foot of the stairs anger coursing through my veins as I heard the woman start to speak.

"What? As a family? Are you kidding me right now? I didn't even know him! I barely know you! And there's nobody that I trust right now. Jackson's dead Jillian. He's dead and he's never coming back okay? And you've already lost me by keeping this from me."

"We were just trying to protect you Cassandra." Jillian cried out why her hands up as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Protect me?" I screeched absolutely baffled at Julian. "You were trying to protect me by not telling me that you're not my parents? You were trying to protect me by not telling me that my real parents are alive and out there? Yeah okay Jillian you did a fucking great job at protecting me."

"Do not say that word Cassandra! No child of mine will say such foul mouthed things in my house." Jillian shouted appalled that I was using such language.

I was no longer the girl that she raised. I was someone completely different and she didn't like it not one bit.

I backed away from her moving towards the door to leave.

"You can't tell me what to do. You're not my mother. You're not anything to me. Do you not understand that? You are absolutely nothing and you never have been, and you never will be, not ever again. Not after this." I said whispering the last part.

I grabbed a hold of my jacket and a pair of chucks barely sparing another glance at her before I slammed the door hard.

As soon as I reached the end of the driveway I realized that I didn't have a car. Tears flowed from my eyes once more.

Great so not only was I bawling like a baby but I was also without a ride. Lovely.

I slipped on my shoes before starting my walk down the street in my funeral dress and a black face, that could easily get me a job in a circus.

I didn't know I was going. My plan was to go straight until I couldn't walk anymore.

I couldn't go back home there was no way not after the fight I just had with the woman posing as my mother.

I didn't even know where all the anger came from.

It might have been the fact that my mom thought that everything was going to be the same after this. Like she wasn't going to lose me; and that things would just be shits and giggles.

I walked and walked and walked some more.

"Money for an old man?" a ragged voice called out. I kept walking last I checked it was only me on these streets...

"Food or Clothing for an old man?" I heard the voice again.

Turning around I saw a sad sight.

The old man was a shriveled toothless creature, feeble and walked with a cane. He looked as though a puff of wind could blow him down. He had a hand tremor and constant waggling and bobbing of the head. The old man's deep wrinkles seemed to carve a map of his life on his still agile and mobile facial features. His twinkling eyes were framed by thick white eyebrows and on his stubbled chin were white whiskers.

"Excuse me miss, will you spare me some food or money?" He said to me.

I walked over to him with a frown on my face. I didn't recognize him. And in a small town where everyone knew everyone, strangers were a rarity.

"Tell me old man, what's your name?" I said giving him the dollar and loose change I found in my jacket pocket, it was official, now I was officially broke.

"I have many names young one" He said staring at me. "But your question is not who am I, it's who are you?" he said with a twitch of his lips

"I am Cassandra Cain." I said with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that what they can you here…"

I frowned. "That's what they call me anywhere, considering that's my name."

"Are you sure?" The old man asked his words hanging in the air.

My eyes narrowed his eyes had a certain gleam that let me know he knew more than what he was saying. He must have taken my silence as a yes because he shrugged and began to hobble away into the trees. "Well if you're so sure…."

"Hey wait up." I said following after him, for an old man he could sure move.

Now one would say a young girl following a strange old man into the woods as the sun set would set off warning bells, but alas she is a curious child after all…

"Hey!" I called out to him. "Old man! Hey wait up!" I shouted as I tried to follow him through the trees.

They seemed to be getting thicker and thicker the more I followed him.

The old man didn't stop, nor did he slow down, he did however laugh at me.

After a moment I couldn't hear the laughter. I struggled even more, there was no way I was going to get lost in the woods. No way.

I pushed past the last of the trees falling onto the ground when I saw an old house.

It was creepy to say the least, and yet…

The old man's laughter was coming from it. I stood up determination etched onto my face as I stormed into the house to find the old man.

He was going to tell me what he knew.

The laughter seemed to float up from the basement so that's where I went.

"What took you so long?" he said when I slammed open the door. "I was begging to think you wouldn't make it."

"Listen here old man; I don't know what kind of games you're playing at-."

"Game? No game at all."

"Before when you asked me if I was sure what did you mean. What do I look like to you?"

He stared at me. His nose twitching. "Your reek of it, little Raina."

"Excuse-"

"It's in your blood, your veins, you were destined just like she. Destined to be dark. Yours a tale kissed by fate. Bound to another who's eternally damned…."

"What the hell are you talk-"

"You and her so much alike, fair, dark hair yet you have your father's compassionate eyes, heir to the kingdom of the evil queen." He said with a smile. "Tell me; tell me will you seek vengeance on little snow too? Follow in your mothers footsteps?"

I blinked this man wasn't making a lick of sense, in fact the whole situation was beginning to dawn on me how stupid I am. Following a stranger into the woods into his house…I might as well dye my ebony tresses blonde and change my name to Ashley b.

I started back away from him when he called out.

"Be still and know who you are."

"I know who I am." I snapped my voice trembling slightly. I knew who I was…didn't I?

"You know nothing." He snapped back. "Spoiled brat. Always were, always will be."

I glared at him. He had no right to speak to me in such a way.

"Ohh you look like you want to have me beheaded…" he chuckled. "A trait form you grandmother no doubt she was a queen at beheading people as she was at taking their hearts…" he said laughing like a madman.

"But the sun has set and for you to learn you need to look beyond your reflection…time for a riddle!" He said laughing once more.

"I stare at you,

You stare back at me.

You're a copycat,

I can see.

Whatever I do,

You seem to do too.

At the same time of course,

But how do you know."

"Who am I?" he asked. He twirled around me repeating his words. "Who am I?"

I frowned as I thought about his riddle. I looked up at him when I got the answer.

"A mirror." I said with a smile.

He smirk "Excellent, sharp wit like your mother…" He pulled a white sheet from behind him and stepped to the side to show me what he uncovered.

It was a mirror. It was taller than me, six feet maybe and was exquisitely framed with gold. It was beautiful and seemed very familiar.

"It's beautiful…" I said as I ran my fingers over the frame, feeling its cool ridges and grooves.

I could see the old man's smirk through the mirror. "Tell me, do is look familiar?"

I nodded still staring and touching the mirror.

"That's because it was yours, so very long ago. A gift from beast of a man…"

I scoffed turning to look at him. "Old man, I've never own anything this expensive in my life-"

"In this life!" he said cutting me off with a smirk.

"What are you-"

I was cut off by the door to the basement being thrown open, and Jillian storming in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with her!" She hissed at the old man.

He smirked. "I'm merely setting her on her way home, the same thing you should be doing."

"She doesn't need to go back to that place…there's nothing there she or any of us can go back to anyway, Regina made sure of that!" Jillian spat.

The old man tsked. "Your letting your grudge against her majesty, clouds your judgement little Jill…"

"She's not going back, with you." She said seriously.

"Your contract is up. I'm just here to collect and finish the deal." He said with an evil smile.

"No you're not, she would never send someone like you. I won't let you have her you evil little imp!" She screamed.

The old man chuckled. "What would dear old Jack say if he heard you speak in such a way…oh that's right…he's dead. Heard he snapped his neck…"

Her eyes darkened and before I knew it she had an arrow pointed at the old man.

"What are you doing?" I shouted.

"Jack fell down and broke his crown…" the old man taunted her.

"Get away from him Cassandra he's not what he appears to be."

"You're all crazy." I yelled at them both.

"Put that down before you hurt yourself Jill; or worse you suffer the same fate as your beloved Jack."

I faintly remember the end of the nursery rhyme _and Jill came tumbling after…_

I watched as she shot the arrow at the old man. My eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he caught it in his hand.

"You really should have just let me take the girl…" He grumbled as a black mist seemed to float around him.

My eyes widened as he grew his body transforming to something only seen in movies.

I fainted from shock.

Jill's POV

The goblin was as broad as an Olympic wrestler, with clearly defined muscles that bulged under the thick green skin. Indeed, the skin was more akin to armor than anything you'd see on a human.

It was hunched at the shoulders and peered toward me with protuberant brown eyes. As it sniffed the air it began to drool. Huge dribbles of thick saliva rolled to the tips of the tusks that over hung its rubbery lips and onto the basement floor.

"I'm going to eat you little Jill, and then..." He said looking over at Cassandra. "I'll eat the princess too."

"Yes.." he said licking his lips. "I'll just tell the queen it was an accident a tragic accident…"

He laughed more of his saliva falling to the ground.

I didn't have many options. Be killed and let Cassandra be eaten or jump through the portal…

I sprinted towards Cassandra slipping her into my arms and jumped into the mirror before the goblin knew what I was doing.

I thought I was safe before for I felt something yank my hair back, I let Cassandra fall through the portal whispering my last goodbye and resigning to my fate as I fell back into the basement.

"Where is she! Where did you send her?" The goblin snarled squeezing the bones in my arm making me cry out but I would have the last laugh.

"You can't get to her now Rothbart, its over." I coughed up. blood trickling from my lips.

He roared raising his foot over my head. This was it I was going to die…but at least I would be with Jack…

"No!" he hissed. I watched as the black smoke covered his body, this time revealing what he truly looked like. Soulless blue eyes and messy red hair.

He had the face and the body of a girl dream, but the eyes and the soul of the devil himself.

"No, I won't kill you…not yet." He yanked my up by my hair causing me to cry out once more as he drug my body up the stairs. Before I blacked out I took one more look at where the portal once was.

Shattered glass lain about on the floor. The frame that once held the glass cracked.

Hopefully wherever she ended up she would be safe.


End file.
